Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Greetings, Packard V8s,

For many Studebaker-Packard adherents, it has been a subject of some discussion as to how Studebaker should have offered the Packard V8 in Studebaker trucks. There could even have been a deluxe variant Packard truck, a la the Packard Hawk.

To investigate what this might have looked like, I'm building a Packard V8 to go in my 1955 Studebaker E12 3/4t truck. For the first iteration externally it will look as if it all came from the S-P parts bins. Later, I may consider adding EFI and crank-triggered ignition.

1. 1955 Packard 352" bored to 4.070" for 364" (no misprint).
2. 1979-91 Ford 370" heavy-duty truck pistons with a cast iron top groove insert and a D-shaped dish. These pistons w/pins weigh 173 grams more than a standard Packard 352" piston w/pin. They have to have .050" taken off the top and .1875" off inside each pin boss.
3. Packard V8 connecting rods, pin bushings pressed out and pin bores honed for Ford 1.040" pressed pins. Rods have been extensively machined on a lathe and hand ground to remove 72 grams of weight.
4. 1968 Ford 428" 41# steel billet flywheel with center hole enlarged and drilled to Packard bolt circle, modified to mount Packard ring gear.
5. Packard v8 camshaft reground to contemporary truck specifications for a flat torque curve from 1000-4000 RPMs.
Jones Cam Designs Part# H62279-112
248/248 @ .006"
227/227 @ .020"
192/192 @ .050"
.279"/.279" Lobe Lift
112 LSA
7. Custom-built oil pump with three times the bearing area of the OEM pump, 1/2" thick cast iron bottom plate, and the second-design cam retainer plate and spacer.
8. A custom five-speed transmission, built from a 1964 Studebaker GT Hawk Borg-Warner T10 four-speed with a 1956 Borg-Warner R11 overdrive unit.
9. The one visible non-stock part will be a Dodge Viper two-speed electric fan. The C-cab doesn't have much sound insulation and the stock fan is just too noisy at highway cruise. This will be inside the OEM fan shroud and won't be too noticeable.
10. 1955 heads matching the D-dish in the pistons, milled on three sides, new valves, new springs, second-design hardened retainers, new lifters, rocker tips reground, rocker shafts brush cleaned.
11. Completely static and dynamic balanced, including front damper, flywheel and pressure plate..

The parts are all in hand, crankshaft reground .010" mains-.020" rods, rods machined and block been cleaned, ready to be bored, decked, line honed and assembly should begin in a week or two.

thnx, jack vines

Sounds like a fun and practicle project. I'm not familiar with the Studebaker truck models. Is the E12 a pick-up truck???? There has a been few Stude pick ups around the area here but havn't seen any over the last 8 years or so. Pretty trucks as trucks go. Did they build any Panel trucks???

What do u plan to use the truck for???

"Custom-built oil pump with three times the bearing area of the OEM pump, "

If u're using a stock Packard pump housing then that would mean at least a 1 inch shaft compared to factory 1/2 inch shaft AND a lower bushing.

Why assume a 1" shaft? Double the length of the OEM bearing area within the housing and add a bearing in the bottom plate.

thnx, jack vines

Now u have me interested in a Stude pick up or preferabley a panel if they made panels. Doubt that i would go with a V8 of any kind for my needs but probably would in a panel truck.
I'm going to get out and do some rooting around to see what i can scare up on a stude truck. Did they build the pic-ups in 1/2 ton versions???? NOT like i need any more vehicles around here but one more won't make any difference.

When i worked for AMC back in the 70's-80's there was a former Stude Engineer there that i used to coffee clatch with once in awhile back in the Eng'ring dept. He had a large artist rendition of a Stude hi-way tractor ca. 1960 hanging on the wall in his work area. Altho i was not involved with any Packard or Stude personal projects at the time he was an interesting to person to talk to and unfortunately i don't remeber his name. Not sure i ever really knew it.

AFAIK, Studebaker never made a panel truck. From '49-59 the C-cab pickups came in 1/2t, 3/4t and 1t. The 1/2t came in 112" wheelbase and a 6.5' box and 122" wheel base with an 8' box. The 1t could be had with a 8' box, 9'box or a flat bed. Because of a dealer franchise deal, Studebaker labled a very few trucks as Packards and sent them to South America, but they were Stude in everything other than nameplate.

My truck is a 3/4t, 122" wheelbase, 8' box, 6-lug Budd wheels, Spicer rear axle.

thnx, jack vines

Studebaker did build some Packard branded R series pickups for export to South America...don't know if they had Stude or Packard engines though. Not many were built and probably none survive.